***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[MacGuyver]

I had some strange stuff happen. I have a large stacked brooder, but when I get a small hatch like from my broodies I put them in some tank brooders I have. In the last few weeks I have lost 3 young chicks. All three were bloody and I assumed the hatch mates got to pecking on them and then when they got blood they pecked till they died. Day before yesterday I walked into the brooder house and there was a large green shiney bug (like a large june bug) latched on the butt of one of the little chicks and had drawed blood. I had to pull the dang thing off. Today there was a large black bug that was attached to one of the little buggers butt again. Has anyone ever had this happen. Now looking back I would say the bugs is what caused the problems from day one. The brooder house sets under a night light and lots of bugs fly to the light constantly. Then there is lights in the tanks. I assume the bugs are attracted to the light. I moved one set to the big brooder so they are bug free. Have 6 left in another tank. I will rig up some sort of screen on it. CHICKENS ARE SUPPOSED TO EAT BUGS, Not the other way around.

Okay, that's weird. I've never heard of it before. I sure am glad you caught them though. Bugs need to RTFM.

 

[RetiredArmyWife]

NN chicks are extra cute - later they are not so much, but they are great birds. I saw some NNx LF chchins once. Now those were "unique"!

That is the cutest thing I have ever seen!

 

[Ksane]

Mitzi I have 4-5 Roos that are grown with about 40-50 hens. It works out pretty well. When I want to hatch from the a certain group I pick the ones I want & stick them in a cattle panel style hoop house for a month or so. We do have some "special" birds that dont mix with the birds in the lean to - it is 48ft x 12 ft covered area then there is a fenced yard that is 48x16. Plus I let them free range. The yard is for when they are not able to come out when we are gone & such. The yard had green stuff in it last yr, but this season they have kept the yard pure dirt.

That just might work.....I could make a bantam yard and an LF yard for all this year's birds. That's an excellent idea, I love it-thank you. I think I've only got 1/2 the number of birds you do that I'd be putting in the new areas. Then again it may work out so well I'd have to add more birds

 

[Ksane]

I'm sorry but someone's got to say it-that poor Cochin lol! It's sometimes cute and funny on a Bantam Cochin, but let's not do that to the big Cochins

 

[artsyrobin]

Okay so Kurt and I know we need at least two more Aframe coops built this weekend and one more hoop house built. I have the materials for the hoop house already. It will be identical to our last one. The Aframes I want to make I want them lighter than the others we built. I love the others they will last FOREVER but they are a big hard for me to move by myself much. So who has pics of some very easy build, easy to move a-frames? I was thinking about not putting a floor in the "coop" area of the a-frame but I like knowing they are up off the ground in a rain storm I just need to figure out how to make it lighter in that area. I am also considering not covering the entire bottom with wire and just do a skirt of wire around the bottom edges to keep out diggers. We haven't had any issues but I know that doesn't mean we won't. I am going to Lowes after work to get 2x4's I already used up most of hubby's cedar he had milled. Time to get that man back to putting his chainsaw to good work instead of running off to the races, lol.

here is an idea- what about thinner wood or sheetmetal? i sure wouldn't leave a floor off, just to risky-

 

[Bo Garrett]

We really get a kick out of him. Ask Red " do you want to go see the babies " and he is all wiggly and running to the door or the gate. Then he lies as close to the chicks as the hens will allow and whines if one of his favorites moves too far away He is really alert to any that are hurt. He whined until I checked a cage where a little one had a cut on it's neck from a wire in the cage. GOOD DOG!

There are already feathers everywhere

will do...

NanaKat,
That black one with the white feathers will be black when it grows up, blacks with lots of white as chicks tend to have better leg color than chicks that are predominently black. I like my blue chicks to be kind of patchwork blue, meaning that they have dark areas and lighter areas, these tend to be the best colored adults.

Bo

 

[mefordz]

Quote:

oh dear god no!!!!!! EYE WASH PLEASE!!!!!!!

THAT HAS GOT TO BE THE UGLIEST CHICKEN I EVER SAW,

besides the guinnie/chicken crosses.

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

Quote:

Mitzi since you are not into breeding your birds & only want them as pets why not just do a large pen or 2? Most of our birds stay in the lean too of the barn & it cuts chores down drastically!
I have used vinegar based recipe for window cleaner & as fabric softner. Never used it to clean my coops though.

I quit buying all sorts of cleaners for use in the house in their place I just use vinegar it cleans the stove and counter tops walls bathroom everything and no harmful chemical odors, I would assume it would be safe to use in the coops just not sure if it kills everything like oxine does, but I prefer it over oven spray any day.

I had some strange stuff happen. I have a large stacked brooder, but when I get a small hatch like from my broodies I put them in some tank brooders I have. In the last few weeks I have lost 3 young chicks. All three were bloody and I assumed the hatch mates got to pecking on them and then when they got blood they pecked till they died. Day before yesterday I walked into the brooder house and there was a large green shiney bug (like a large june bug) latched on the butt of one of the little chicks and had drawed blood. I had to pull the dang thing off. Today there was a large black bug that was attached to one of the little buggers butt again. Has anyone ever had this happen. Now looking back I would say the bugs is what caused the problems from day one. The brooder house sets under a night light and lots of bugs fly to the light constantly. Then there is lights in the tanks. I assume the bugs are attracted to the light. I moved one set to the big brooder so they are bug free. Have 6 left in another tank. I will rig up some sort of screen on it. CHICKENS ARE SUPPOSED TO EAT BUGS, Not the other way around.

Guy I know the beetle you're talking about, I've never seen one here at the house but they are all over the place at work, I forget the name but they follow the migration of a type of moth and eat the larva of them, I've seen them eating mice and other odd bugs that are too slow to get away, I would suggest that if you pick one of them up the pincher's have some squeeze to them but the fluid they squirt from the other end will stay with you for hours, you won't want to pick your nose twice after a close encounter with it.. Not that I know for sure about that.. I just heard.. that.. before

 

[Tony O]

hey tony, hows the dog working out for you?

Kinda like the song . . . Sleep all day, run all night . . .

She hasn't gone after any varmints yet (that I know of) but with her running at night, just them seeing her might be enough.
Been having a coon problem lately, but after turning her out, as far as I know, they haven't been back for any more "meals".
I think she just wants to play, but they don't know that.



There are all kind of places and shelters a lot more comfy than this. Of all places to sleep, here's her choice.

Why in the junk area???

 

[Cjarvis]

Okay so Kurt and I know we need at least two more Aframe coops built this weekend and one more hoop house built. I have the materials for the hoop house already. It will be identical to our last one. The Aframes I want to make I want them lighter than the others we built. I love the others they will last FOREVER but they are a big hard for me to move by myself much. So who has pics of some very easy build, easy to move a-frames? I was thinking about not putting a floor in the "coop" area of the a-frame but I like knowing they are up off the ground in a rain storm I just need to figure out how to make it lighter in that area. I am also considering not covering the entire bottom with wire and just do a skirt of wire around the bottom edges to keep out diggers. We haven't had any issues but I know that doesn't mean we won't. I am going to Lowes after work to get 2x4's I already used up most of hubby's cedar he had milled. Time to get that man back to putting his chainsaw to good work instead of running off to the races, lol.

I do not have bottoms on my A-frames and have no problems.. easily moved light and very mangeable.